2014

We had a very different New Year's Eve this year. 

Since Seth had taken a week off over the Christmas holiday he had to work full time the following week, so Anna and I decided to take a short trip to Illinois. We left on Sunday and returned home on Wednesday, New Year's Day.

Sunday we checked into the hotel and then headed over to Lena's. Everything looked so nice- the Christmas decorations were still up and there was a bit of snow. Nat and Henry came by and we watched the Bears/Packers game. The grandchildren had been sick earlier in the week with a stomach virus, but all seemed well.

Monday night Anna and I ordered burritos from a Mexican restaurant and had it delivered to our hotel room..we were hungry and relished the big, fat burritos. Later that night Anna started to feel nauseous--was it the stomach virus or the burritos? It doesn't really matter now because whichever it was, it was severe.

She became so dehydrated that she was in pain. She needed Seth but could only talk with him over the phone. Such a bad time not to have your husband close by your side! They decided it would be best for her to go to the urgent care center that was right across the highway from the hotel. It was New Year's Eve and very busy.

I went in the exam room with Anna and the doctor said she should have an IV to get fluids in--so began a nightmare.

Anna has small veins anyway and with the dehydration they were even smaller so the nurse had a hard time inserting the needle to start the IV. As soon as the needle was in Anna began to feel "tingly" and within just a few moments her muscles began to cramp. She was beginning to be very frightened. She looked at me with her eyes wide open with fear, "Mom, help me!" and in that moment looked down and saw her twisted, frozen hands and let out a piercing scream.

Lena heard her from the waiting room and came running in ( as Anna said later, she and Lena "went Irish"). Some staff people told Lena that she could not go in and she said she was going in---that it was her sister!!! At this same moment Anna was yelling at the nurse to TAKE THAT NEEDLE OUT. I hate to admit it, but not feeling well myself, at this point I was on the floor as I had fainted.

More nurses came in and were trying to tell us that this was ok..Anna insisted on the removal of the needle and told us later that at the moment the needle was removed the pain began to recede.She heard them call 911 and the nurse said an ambulance was on the way. The Irish kicked in again and Lena said, no way--there would be no trip to the hospital. I was fully functional by this time and asked to see the doctor.

He was very calm and patient and said we could go back to the hotel and watch Anna, giving her lots of liquids, and if her hands did not unlock to take her to the hospital ourselves.

Since she could not move her arms or hands I put her coat on over her shoulders like a cape, buttoning the top button. They wheeled her out in a wheelchair and thus ended our trip to the urgent care and began our trip to recovery.

At the hotel she was able to keep fluids down and slowly she sipped water and coconut water that Lena had gotten for her. It was hours before her hands were fully relaxed and functional.

We feel the nurse must have hit a nerve when she inserted the needle because it all happened so quickly that almost no saline solution was able to get in. Or perhaps she was allergic to whatever was used to prepare the site of the needle insertion. We will never really know. But as the doctor said, "There are always so many unknowns that anything can potentially happen in these situations."

God was good, as always, and watching over us. Lena was a tower of strength and Anna was one tough girl! I had never fainted at a moment of crisis before so I felt somewhat stupid but so glad Lena was there.

 Anna and I were able to get to sleep then about 2am awoke and watched some old Twilight Zones that were playing on the TV.

 Drove home in a snowstorm the next day and am happy to say all is fine and

 HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2014